Peat gasification.



T. RIGBY. PEAT GASIFICATION. APPLICATION FILED Ausm. 1914.

19233696.; v Patented July 17, 1917.

f 1,233,6ll6.

THOMAS RIGBY, OF DUMFRIES, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO W ETCARBCNIZINGLIMITED, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

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Speciication of Letters Patent.

lPatented July 17, 191?,

i Application led August 11, 1914. Serial No. 856,254.

To all 'whom it may concerne: v

Be it known that I, THOMAS RIGBY, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, and residing at 61 Loreburnstreet, Dumfries, Scotland, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Peat Gaeication, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the gasification of peat with recovery ofby-products,and has particular reference to the utilization of peatwhichhas'had its water rendered more freely eXpressible by heat treatment,such as Wetcarbonizationlnv the gasification of fuels such as coal inby-product recovery gas plant, for instance of the Mond type, provided asuiflcient proportion of steam is introduced into the producer nodifficulty is` experienced in securing a gas of steady caloriiic valueand in maintaining; efficient by-product recovery despite considerablechanges in the condition of the fuel fed into the producer, andespecially as regards changes in moistness such as occur in materialslike colliery refuse. Y

Now I have ascertained that different conditions present themselves inthe gasication of peat, and that to secure constancy in gas compositionand maintain efficient byproduct recovery the fuel entering the producermust be maintained as far as possible in the same condition, and that inparticular a steady moisture content must as far as possible bemaintained. This difference in behavior between coal and peat mustpresumably be attributed to the difference in the volatile matterspresent in the respective fuels. 1

This invention consists in a method of gasifying (with by-productrecovery) peat fuel in different conditions,,andespecially as regardsmoisture content, in which the average condition of the fuel enteringthe gas producer is maintained, as far as convenient, constant bycontrolled proportionate admiXture of the different grades of the fuel.Y s

This invention consists more particularly in a method of thekinddescribed for gasi fying mixtures of briqueted peat and 4press cakes ofpeat as are described in U. S. patent application Serial No. 712,745,filed 1st August 1912, according to which the admixture is effected byautomatically measuringV out, preferably in a continuous manner, foradmiXture, the two forms of the fuel in predetermined proportionvariable with the `respective moisture content and thereafter tion intoeffect, while Fig. 2 shows to an enlarged scale the outlet end of thebunkers shown in Fig. l.

ln applying the invention to the gasification of admixtures'of presscakes of wet carbonized peat having a water content of from 65 to 70%with briquets of the same material having a water content of about 5%,the press cakes are taken from the filter presses by a conveyer a to arotary screen b, through :which the fine material passes by way of aduct c to disintegrators 0l to be thereafter briqueted. The larger lumpsof the press cake passing over the screen b fall into a bunker e, whichis preferably provided with a duct f connected with the duct c in'orderthat any excess of material not requiredin the'producer shall be passedto the disintegrators al. At its outlet end the bunker e is provided, asshown to an enlarged scale in Fig. 2, with a sliding plate g which, bymeans of a tightening handle 7L,

lcan be fixed at any desired height above the `by gearing n and beltin'go from an electricv motor p. Y

The jig conveyer y' empties itself into a `hopper g and preferably intoasecond rotary screen r, in order lthat any dust produced during themeasuring operations shall not pass to the producer where it might beobiectionable, but be disintegrated, and therea er briqueted. Theremaining larger lumps of material are taken by a conveyer s, anddelivered to a hopper i where @they meet the other constituent, in thiscase` the peat briquets, whereupon admixtureis effected on al conveyer`by which l the charge is carried forward to the producers or storesupplying the same.

The briquets to be admixed with -t-he press cakes have usually beenobtained from wetcarbonized peat which, after f having been filterpressed, disintegrated, further dried, as for example by iiue gases to awater content of about 5%, has been briqueted. Such briquets are liftedby a-.conveyer u into a bunker o feeding a jig conveyer likewise drivenby an .electric motor w, through belting y, gearing e, and a crank andconnecting rod 1 and 2. `The bunker o is also provided with a plate g,arranged in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 for the purposeofregulatingthe quantity of material delivered during .each stroke ofthe jig conveyor. As before, the measured out material isbefore'admixture preferably screened a rotary screen 3, through whichthe fine material passes to disintegrators 4, to be thereafterbriqueted; while the larger lumps of material pass over to the hopper iwhere, as already mentioned, they meet the press cakes from the bunker4c and are carried forward by the conveyers t tothe producer or store.

For the purpose of enabling a constant ratio4v to be maintainedvbetweeny the respective speeds of the two jig conveyers y' and w,themotors p and w driving the same are suitably interconnected, as forinstance by arrangingsuch motors in parallel on the same mains 5, andrigidly connectingl the handles 6 and -7 of their respective starters 8and 9 by a bar or the like 10.

In using such an apparatus, a producer charge. of the desired averagemoisture content is obtained by adjusting the plate g of the bunkers eand o respectively, atV such a height above the table of the jig-conveyers j: andv 'w that the depth of the material delivered thereongives the necessary proportion of press cakes to briquets. If the speedso-f the jig conveyer 7'y and fw remain constant, the producer will becharged with fuel at a constant rate, and the latter can thus be variedwithout in any way altering the average moisture content of the charge,by sim-ply varying the speed of the two jig conveyors, while maintaininga constant ratio between such. speeds, as by operating the bar V10 bywhich the starter handles 6 and l'are connected.

1f preferred, the two jig conveyers. may be interconnected mechanically,and driven by means other than electric motors, while in addition, anypreferable. form of quick return mechanism may be employed forreciprocatingl the tables of the jig conveyers.

it willl be furtherrunderstood that the above, arrangements areonlydescribed by way' of example, as being suitable: where the producercharge isa mixture of press cakes and briquets of wetcarbonized peajeyCorr sequently the apparatus employed for carrying the invention intoeffect may be considerably modified to suit the particular nature o-fthe peat, or of the mixture supplied ,to the producer, provided theaverage moisture content of the charge can be conveniently controlledwithin predetermined limits.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is :-l

1. Method of forming a peat fuel mixture for gas producers consisting infeeding forward a stream of relatively moist peat fragments, feedingforward a second stream of such substance in a relatively dry conditionand adjusting the relative proportions of said two streams so as toproduce when combined a feed of a desired uniform water coutent.

2. Method of forming a peat fuel mixture for gas producers consisting informing a gaged moving stream or feed of peat fragments in a relativelymoist condition, forming a second feed of relatively dry peat substancehaving a velocity which is constantly related to. that of the first feedand a volume adapted on admixture therewith to produce material of adesired water content and mingling said two feeds for the purpose setforth.

8. Method of forming a peat fuel mixture for gas producers consisting informing a @aged moving stream or feed of peat presscaires, yforming asecond feed of peat briquets having a velocity which is constantlyrelated to that of the first feed and a volume adapted on admiXturetherewith to produce material of a desired water content, and minglingsaid two feeds for the purpose set forth.

4. Method of forming a peat fuel mixture for gas producers consisting informing a gaged moving stream or feed of peat presscakes of about 68 percent. water content, forming a second feed of peat briquets o1 5 percent. water content adapted on admixture with said first feed to producematerial of a desired water content, and mingling said two feeds for thepurpose set for'th.

5. A method of forming a peat fuel charging-mixture for gas producers,consisting in forming a gaged moving stream or feed of peat fragments ina relatively moist condition, forming a second feed of relatively drypeat substance having a velocity which is constantly related to 'that ofthe first feed and a volume adapted on admixture therewith to producematerial of a desired water content, mingling said two feeds` andregulating their constantly related velocities to supply any requiredvolume of fuel having a uniform distribution of moisture throughout itsmass.

1,233,606 ein;

6. A method of forming a peat fuel charging miXture for gas producers,consisting in forming a gaged moving stream or feed of peat press-cakesof about 68 per cen't. water content, forming a second feed of peatbriquets of about 5 per cent. water content having a velocity which isconstantly related to that of the first feed and a volume adapted onadmixture therewith to produce material of a desired water content,mingling said two feeds and regulating their constantly relatedvelocities to supply any required volume of fuel having a uniformdistribution of moisture throughout its mass.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

T. RIGBY.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. BURKE, HENRY DUNwoRTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

It is hereby oertied that in Letters Patent No. 1,233,606, granted July17 1917,

upon the application of Thomas Rigby, of Dumfries, Scotland, for animprovement in Peat Gasication, an error appears in the printedspecification requiringV correction as follows: Page 2, strike out lines77, 86, 97, and 107, claims 1, 2, 3,

and 4, and insert the Words A method offomfing a peat fuel chargingmixture; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ooe.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of September, A. D., 1917.

i R. F. WHITEHEAD,

[SEAL] .Acting Commissioner of Patents. C1.

